Tuesday, October 31, 2017

When you crush the soul of a child.

Well, not a child, but a teenager. That makes it much better.... right?!

I woke up the morning after Halloween sick (with a seasonal cold) and with a charlie horse in my left leg. Of course, life goes on and the older you get the more dumb things you seem to have to deal with. And then I walked outside to get in my car and head to work.... and it was snowing. Because of course it was. It's all good, we didn't get enormous amounts of snow or anything, moreso just one of those "ugh" moments.

Instead of letting this "ruin my entire life" and being a constant Debbie Downer, I remembered the conversation I had the night before with a teenager and it made me laugh. Sometimes, it's the little things.

*in the final moments of handing out candy with Uncle D on Halloween 2017*

Teenage Boy: "trick or treat. I want candy.... and your soul"

Me: "yeah, you're just getting the candy, I sold my soul YEARS ago"

TB: "then I want your life"

Me: "sweet! you can also have my anxiety, debt, and muscle spasms"

TB: "..... what did you sell your soul for all those years ago, my pretty?!"

Me: "a fifth of whiskey, pack of Newports, bacon cheeseburger, and sweet tea.... the first time"

TB:"....... uh...... yeah, that actually sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Happy Halloween"

Me: "Happy Halloween"

Sunday, October 29, 2017

My thoughts on the second season of Stranger Things (ST2). (Part I).

*The second season of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix October 19, 2017..... and wow.

And of course, I watched the first six episodes within the first weekend, but had to take an emotional break after that. Just kidding, I watched the first six episodes, but with us staying with my aunt/uncle right now, you kind of can't binge-watch like I usually do, because rude. BUT they're pretty cool, so I can moderately binge-watch and live vicariously through the fictional world.

If you want to know about the first season: How an 80s show in the new millennium blew my mind.

*When terrifying supernatural forces once again begin to affect Hawkins, they realize Will's disappearance was only the beginning. And so, the adventure continues....*


Episode One (Chapter Nine): Madmax

Official Synopsis: "As the town preps for Halloween, a high-scoring rival shakes things up in the arcade, and a skeptical Hopper inspects a field of rotting pumpkins. Will keeps experiencing visions and having "episodes."

My thoughts: *October 28, 1984* Umm.... who are these criminals and how are they connected to our kids?! Dude, that chick just caused a visionary rockslide with her mind and she has a "008" on her arm.... WTF?!

I love that all of the kids are collecting coins and trying to keep their high scores at the Arcade. It's also nice to see that no matter how much they went through last year, Mike and Nancy are still asshole siblings to each other. *all the laughing tears* Poor Will, he will forever be having these dumbass visions of the Upside Down. How has this been happening for a year and he isn't insane yet?! Hopper dealing with conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman is what I am here for, people. Ugh, I don't want to be "that person" but all of those rotten pumpkins in that town CANNOT be a coincidence. Annddd..... Nancy and Steve are still together *eye roll* Who's this tool in the muscle car? Oh, come on, you can't give him that hair and expect me to take him seriously. SEAN ASTIN!! I love Sean Astin..... Sean Astin making out with Winona Ryder is strange, but I can deal with it. At least he's trying to spend family time with the Byers' (as kids at school are calling Will "zombie boy" and Jonathan is still pining for Nancy.... and Nancy is staring all longingly at him). Oh.... "MadMax" is that new little girl. Makes sense. Barb's parents are still looking for her? Poor people.... yeah Nancy, I would feel guilty too. I mean, she disappeared, because you just HAADDD to bang Steve. Ok, it wasn't 100% your fault, but I mean, COME ON. How am I liking Steve more than Nancy at this point? Aw, Mike is still breaking my heart. Like, somebody get this kid a puppy or something. Damn, Mike's pining for El just as bad a year later and we can't even get a text back. Of course, shady shit is still happening at Hawkins Lab. HOW DOES THIS TOWN NOT KNOW THIS?!! Hey Hopper, you living in the woods now?! Cool, cool. Wait.... what?! You've adopted El?!!! YYEEESSSS.

Episode Two (Chapter Ten): The Boy Who Came Back to Life: Trick or Treat Freak

Official Synopsis: "After Will sees something terrible on trick-or-treating night, Mike wonders if Eleven is still out there. Nancy wrestles with the truth about Barb."

My thoughts: *flashbacks of Eleven escaping the Upside Down and crying for Mike*

Aww.... El escaped and went back to Mike, but had to run to save herself and him?! And he had to watch her leave not once, but TWICE (once at school, once through the window)? I call bullshit. These kids as the Ghostbusters is everything and more. Too bad I can't convince Dani to dress up for Halloween at work.... we would make awesome Ghostbusters! So, Nancy is still dating Steve, but trying to also be friends with Jonathan whom she's secretly in love with? Girl, I like your follow through, but that shit will crack eventually. *fast forward to Halloween party that Nancy gets wasted at* Huh, that took less time than I expected. Damn, I didn't like Steve last season, but I am feeling for him this season. Like, that was some harsh shit, Nancy. Annddd.... of course Jonathan is there to take her home and tuck her in. THREE CHEERS FOR JONATHAN BYERS. I really hate this Billy kid.... he's too damn creepy even for me. So, the guys are all dressing as the Ghostbusters and El wants to go trick-or-treating as a ghost?! Classic. Damn Hopper, I understand you wanna keep her safe, but that girl wants to go out. Will having another "episode" and Mike comforting him by taking him home and talking about El is too damn sweet. Is it just me or is Mike hating on the new girl trying to inadvertently replace El how we're all feeling right now?! El "visits" Mike in her subconscious?! ALL. THE. TEARS. Dustin.... what's that in your trashcan?!

Episode Three (Chapter Eleven): The Pumpkin Patch: The Pollywog

Official Synopsis: "Dustin adopts a strange new pet, and Eleven grows increasingly impatient. A well-meaning Bob urges Will to stand up to his fears."

My thoughts: *flashback of Hopper finding and taking in a homeless/scared/hungry/cold El*

Let's just all agree that Bob "the Brain" is a small treasure and so much better than Lonnie. I mean, he's not Hopper, but he's Sean Astin and let's just all be thankful. Afterall, you can't really be "true to the 80s" if you don't include Sean Astin somewhere. Bob, sweetie, I know that the whole "facing your fears" thing is legit advice, but knowing these kids, that is HORRIBLE advice. So, let me get this straight.... you choose Steve over Jonathan last season dumbass, and you tell Steve that everything about him and your relationship is bullshit while you're drunk as shit, and then you recruit Jonathan to help you on your mission? All while still claiming to be "with" Steve? Nancy, girl, damn. Dustin, I appreciate you thinking this thing is all cute and giving him a cute name and all, BUT that thing is clearly a slug and probably baby Demogorgon and YOU NEED TO ABORT THIS MISSION NOW. El telekinetically knocking Max off of her skateboard, because she thinks she is flirting with Mike is literally every single one of us in middle school. Except I didn't have telekinetic powers, BUT IF I DID. I love that Winona Joyce has just accepted the insane that is her life and found an image on Mikey's Samwise Gamgee's Bob's camera from Will's vision. I wish I was half as talented at anything as this family is with crayons. *laughing* Of course Dart escaped. Of course Will finds it. Wow.... that whole Will "confronting his fears" thing went even worse than what I thought it would. That seizure is TERRIFYING.

Episode Four (Chapter Twelve): The Palace: Will the Wise

Official Synopsis: "An ailing Will opens up to Joyce- with disturbing results. While Hopper digs for the truth, Eleven unearths a surprising discovery."

My thoughts: *Joyce looking for Will at the school and Mike finding him and him scaring everybody is essentially just their lives now*

What in the Sam Hill is going on in the Upside Down?! It's somehow even more confusing this year than it was last year. What is pouring into Will?! Can somebody get this kid a doctor that isn't a 100% quack-a-doodle?! Of course, El is all teenage angst and Hopper is mad at her for sneaking out. Dude, having teenage angst would have totally been better if you had her powers to back that shit up. You DID NOT pull that shit at my house. Nancy, honey, did you really think that you could call Barb's mom and be all crazy and cryptic and y'all weren't gonna get swarmed with some crazy scientist/conspiracy people?! Jonathan totally seen this coming. Annddd.... now you're kidnapped. Wait, that was y'alls plan all along?! NICE. See, you two definitely make a good team (#jancy). So, Will can just draw some squiggly lines and Hopper automatically knows they're the pumpkin vines?! This. Moments like this are why I love this show so damn much. Max, I get that your brother is a dick (I am seriously over that guy), but you don't understand why the boys are being so cryptic. Don't be so crazy. El is gonna find some shit about Terry Ives and go find her.... told you. Oh hell, Dustin I told you Dart was a baby demogorgon.... RUNNN!!! Of course Hopper is gonna fall into a tunnel to the Upside Down. Because Hopper can't f*cking win.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Las Vegas.

I'm sure some of you are like me and tend to not talk about subjects that make us uncomfortable (in a public forum, at least).

And it's not because I'm ashamed of what I think, and it's not because I'm afraid of how people will react to me and my opinions. I think I am just the type of person that doesn't feel the need to justify herself to satisfy others. 

I think, feel, and do what I think is right and I steer clear of people I think are not good to or for me.


And while I do try to see the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt (for the most part), there are just some things that I can't seem to understand. I think it's because I can't wrap my head around them and no matter how hard I try, I can't figure out why there are so many bad people doing terrible things out in the world. 

It used to feel like the good outweighed the bad and we were all working on a system to try and get the balance in check as best we could. But now, these days, it doesn't so much feel like we're going forward.... or backwards. It feels like we're standing still, because we have no clue where to go. We're just standing on a precipice staring out into the open with nowhere to go and fire behind us.

So, what do we do? Do we try to climb down the cliff? Do we jump and hope it's not as bad as we think? Or, do we turn around and face the fire knowing that it very well might be our last fight and we might not make it out?

Earlier this month, on the night of October 1, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival that was taking place on the Las Vegas Strip.

This event left 58 people dead, 546 injured, and countless lives changed forever.

While people were out on the lawn enjoying Jason Aldean's set, dancing and singing and laughing and loving, a 64-year-old man by the name of Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, from the room that he had been staying in. For about ten minutes he fired hundreds of rifle rounds, and about an hour after the last shot was fired, police found him dead in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.... his motive is unknown.

Unknown. As in, this was the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in the history of the United States and no one has any clue why he did what he did. I'm not saying that if he had stated a reason that any of us would understand or that it would be easier, but it almost seems like not knowing is worse than knowing.

I wasn't going to say anything about this, because as I said, I don't tend to talk in a public forum about things like this, but after reading an article on my Yahoo homepage this morning that made me sick at my stomach, I felt like I needed to say something. Not that people will listen, but for myself.

Something like this can bring out the very worst kinds of people. People so vile that you didn't even know they existed outside of movies and books. In almost anything fictional, they always have an "evil" entity (antagonist), that the "hero" (protagonist) has to deal with. And it's like this, because without evil we wouldn't know how truly good some people can be. We root for our heroes and hope that in the end good conquers evil. That's what we've all been made to believe since we were children. The prince saves the princess, the evil queen is destroyed, the hero sacrifices themselves so that people may go on for another day, and at the end of the day everybody gets their happily ever afters.

Except, that's not how real life works. Sometimes there is no happy ending and the bad people win.

We learned these lessons in Oklahoma in 1995Columbine in 1999, New York/ Virginia/ Pennsylvania in 2001Sandy Hook in 2012, Boston in 2013Orlando in 2016, and countless others. We learned that some people are bad and some are evil and sometimes, the "good guys" don't necessarily win. 

Because when it comes to something like this, there really never is a "winner."

And then sometimes, through all of the darkness and the fog, a little ray of hope shines through. Something like this most definitely brings out some of the worst people that you can imagine, but it also brings out some of the very best in people. You hear about people saving strangers, and helping as many around them as they can. You hear about communities coming together to treat, love, help.... and heal.

My heart and the sincerest part of myself goes out to these people and their families. 

"Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious, and the greatest healing energy." -Sai Baba

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Sure we changed but way down deep you had the same old feelings for me.

Have y'all heard of the band- LANCO?! I hadn't ever heard of them, but Friday when I was at work by myself (because Dani was in route to see the Foo Fighters), I turned the radio to the country music station and heard their song- Greatest Love Story.

Have you heard it? If not, don't feel too bad, because that was the first time that I had heard it too. And for some reason, I found it very catchy and had to stop myself from saying, "aww..."

I'm not 100% sure why I love it so much, but I think it's because it reminds me of an old John Michael Montgomery song (the beginning of- Life's A Dance), and no, I don't know why. That, and because deep down I'm just a big ole softy.... don't tell.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Winter is coming (and I don't know why people think that is so funny?!).

I'm fairly poor. And while many people are ashamed of that fact, and others deny it, I've just come to accept it, because I have literally NEVER lived with money. Like, ever.

I always say "poor" and people look at me like I'm insane. And I'm not "poor" in the sense that I can't live and take care of my family (although, we are currently homeless, so maybe I should worry a little bit more?!), but "poor" in the sense that just because I want something doesn't mean that I can just go out and buy it.

Because if that was the case, I would own quite a bit of Carhartt stuff (comfy + warm = I'm there). I mean, other stuff too, but mostly alot of damn Carhartt (and boots out the wazoo). With winter looming (the high may be 75 today, but it was 40 when I left this morning and it's only going to keep dropping until it doesn't come up for months.... welcome to the midwest), you start thinking about how the next few months are going to be hypothermia inducing freezing your ass off extremely cold.


With that being said, I still like to daydream about the things that I may one day possess (fat chance). And as I said, Carhartt and boots are very high on this list. But, there are also other things that I would like to have for the long winter months. Things like:

Ariat Women's Fatbaby Cowgirl Boots- Estimated Price (Tractor Supply): $79.99 Buy boots here. AND/OR Justin Boots Women's Tan Jaguar Justin Gypsy Boot- Estimated Price (Tractor Supply): $94.95 Buy boots here.

Carhartt Sandstone Active JAC/Quilted Flannel (dark brown, hunter green, plum)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $99.99 Buy coat here. AND/OR Carhartt Women's Suede Work Knit Cuff (wrp)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $11.99 Buy gloves here.

Carhartt Acrylic Watch Hat (deep wine, sparrow, canopy green)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $9.99 Buy hat here. AND/OR Carhartt Casselberry Hat (dark stream marl, marshmallow marl)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $19.99 Buy hat here.

Carhartt Odessa Flannel Cap (chili)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $19.99 Buy hat here. AND/OR Carhartt Springvale Knit Logo Hat (aqua gray heather, warm oatmeal heather)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $16.99 Buy hat here.

Carhartt Crawford Double Front Bib Overall (dark brown, deep blue)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $69.99 Buy overalls here. AND/OR Carhartt Meadow Waffle Knit Henley (every color available)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $34.99 Buy top here.

Carhartt Rocksprings Sweater (natural nap)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $69.99 Buy sweater here. AND/OR Carhartt Workwear Pocket T-Shirt (in every color available except black and white)- Estimated Price (Carhartt): $16.99 Buy shirts here.

Burton Women's Anouk Fleece Pullover (mood indigo guatikat, vision quest)- Estimated Price (Dick's Sporting Goods) $69.97 Buy pullover here. AND/OR St. John's Bay Open Front Cardigan with Pocket Plus (black grey stripe, heather grey black, olive combo stripe)- Estimated Price (JC Penney's) $27.99 Buy cardigan here.

Columbia Sportswear Co. Long Sleeve Plaid Button-Front Shirt (night shadow plaid, chalk plaid)- Estimated Price (JC Penney's): $39.99 But shirt here. AND/OR Harry Potter Solemnly Swear Girls Pullover Top- Estimated Price (Hot Topic): $26.00 Buy pullover here.

See what I mean?! Oh, to be rich for two days. *rolls around laughing*

Thursday, October 19, 2017

I'm currently homeless with no couch.

As most people know, we are staying with my aunt (Momma's sister) and uncle for a few weeks until we can find/approve/sign paperwork/move into a different house, since the one we were living in was a mess.

(Also, we were originally staying with a different aunt, but now we're staying with Poot and Doodle.)

I can't emphasize enough how stressful of a process this has been. It truly has been insane and there have been days that I would just like to stay in bed and not move to join the working world around me. You ever do that? I've never been one to reset an alarm and have always gotten straight up out of bed when I needed to.... that is not the case anymore, as I reset my alarm at least twice a morning.

*oomph*

But through everything we have just reminded ourselves that this is all temporary (it would go alot quicker if bitches didn't try to sell you a shack with a list of problems and a giant price tag), and our family has made the transition quite a bit easier. They've done nothing but try to help and make us feel welcome, and for that, I am forever thankful.

However, that doesn't mean that all stress has dissipated (quite the opposite, actually) and through it all, at least we've kept our sense of humors. And yes, that is what people say to make themselves feel better about their lives being in shambles and they're contemplating running away to Argentina. (And no, I don't know why I picked Argentina). 

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Victoria obviously doesn't have that many secrets.

Yesterday was my first foray into Victoria's Secret.

While I've been in there a couple of times, I've never been "measured" to find out what my actual "size" was (I've never had a cleavage problem.... until now). And to say that I was not a fan would be an understatement.

(Not a fan of the "sizing" part, fan of the store, just to be clear).


Don't get me wrong, the girl that helped me was extremely helpful and nice, and it really does help to have an accurate size in mind instead of wandering around trying to throw out your best guess. But.... I'm not exactly comfortable with people seeing me naked, half naked, or even in a low cut top (yeah, being a teenager was fun), so the fact that someone seen me without a shirt and had to "adjust me" to make sure everything was accurate was mortifying.

I know that in this day and age women are celebrating their bodies and all of this is nothing more than my own issue in my head, but I am not one of those girls and while I say kudos to the ones that are, and I'm happy for them.... GIVE ME MY SHIRT AND LOOK AWAY.

And while this is all my own personal issue and someday I might "overcome" it and be comfortable in my own skin.... I don't foresee that happening and now that one more person has seen me half naked I need to go drink until I forget it (which coincidentally is how a couple other people have seen me half naked).

With all of that being said, just know, the VS employee knew that I was extremely uncomfortable and tried her best to help the situation.

VS Employee: "Darlin.... you're really uncomfortable, aren't you?"
Me: "That obvious, huh?!"
VS Employee: "On a scale of one to ten, how uncomfortable are you right now?!"
Me: "You see this tshirt?!" *VSE nods* "I would put two more on if I had them."
VSE: "Well, I just needs to adjust this a little bit more and then we'll have your 100% accurate size and it'll be over with."
ME: "The last time a girl stuck her hand this far down my shirt she got punched in the mouth."

*both of us ended up laughing (despite my discomfort), because I am nothing if not sarcastic and joke at inappropriate times*

Monday, October 16, 2017

ELEVEN (011) days until Stranger Things is back.

Stranger Things- the final trailer (S2).

If you're not too new around here (or, even if you are), you've probably become pretty accustomed to having me ramble on and on about shows that I'm either A: Obsessed with B: Might become obsessed with or C: That I can't pull myself away from.

When it comes to shows that I'm really into, I follow along whether they're currently in their respective seasons or going into/coming out of. We won't talk about my obsession that is was Sons of Anarchy and the fact that Netflix has made it even easier to cater to my tv addiction (but seriously, thanks y'all #noregrets).

Semi-recently I've binge-watched shows (not counting the shows that I switch hit watch/watch regularly) such as: Grace and Frankie (twice), Disjointed, The Ranch (twice), Santa Clarita Diet (twice), Fuller House (twice), GLOW, My Name is Earl, Vice Principals (S1), and Riverdale (S1).

But most importantly.... Stranger Things (S1 twice).

I talk about all of these shows on the regular (look at me, using slang like a grownup.... kind of) and get pretty excited at the prospect of getting more episodes.

The last few months have been a constant hawkeye watch for Stranger Things tidbits and with the S2 premiere closing in (10/27), things have gotten a little bit crazy (ie: "things" meaning all forms of my social media). I've been obsessed with this show since I accidentally binge-watched the first season and if you think you're better than me, you try watching this show and not loving these damn kids!!

And while I don't know if I'll get to watch/binge-watch the second season when it premieres, the fact that I'm excited about it has not dissipated.

It's so funny to think back on it, because when it first came out on Netflix, I remember people being extremely excited about it. Like, to the point of that's all you seen anywhere at all times. I had it on my queue to try at some point, but wasn't exactly in a "rush" to start it. In fact, Dani tagged be in about ten things before I finally consented one random Sunday and started the first episode.... and quickly finished the entire season that day.

Do I have any regrets about my tv addiction?! Eh, about as many as Mike does about bringing El home out of the rain.
*and if you don't know what that means, we can't be friends*

Saturday, October 14, 2017

When the phone guy cracks you the hell up.

Thursday evening, Momma, Aunt Poot, and I went and got our phones situated (our last ones have been out of commission for about seven or so months), and hilarity ensued.

The guy that worked at the Sprint store (I'm very sad that I can't recall his name) was working by himself and there was nothing short of a full man show going on. Not only was he on top of everything and got shit handled pretty quickly, but he also reduced Aunt Poot's bill and made us all laugh non-stop.

Do you ever just meet someone and you're immediately like "I need to be friends with this person" and y'all just start throwing crazy shit out there? That's what happened.


Among other things, we got to talking about piercings/tattoos and how some people actually get into things like that to try and explore and get in touch with their culture and ancestors (something that he has been easing into, as he recently found out that he is part West African). And how others do it and take it to the extreme just following a kind of "fad."

And once he and I got into talking about his background/culture, as he is also part Puerto Rican and Muslim, that's when hilarity started to ensue. You see, the reason I can't remember his name is because he has at least eight of them. Apparently in Hispanic culture it is custom for a man to receive not only his own two names, but also two surnames of his parents.

(Traditionally, a person's first surname is the father's first surname and the second is the mother's first surname.).

And then we had this conversation....
(side note: we're both around the same age)

Him: "Yeah, when I was seventeen I almost got deported when I went to get my license." Me: "Seriously?!" Him: "They didn't even know where they were going to send me, they were just gonna stick me in an internment camp until they figured it out." Me: "That's insane! I'm so glad that didn't happen to you. That would have been horrible!!" Him: "You're telling me, I'm from North Carolina." Me: ......... Him........

**and then we both busted out in a ridiculous fit of laughter**

Friday, October 13, 2017

An avid horror fan always celebrates Friday the 13th!!

It's that time of year again.... Autumn is upon us and with it being October it's time for the best of holidays HALLOWEEN. And yes, I'm a horror fan and movie watcher year round, but there is just something special about October. That's when all the best movies repeat on tv and everything is just a little bit spookier!!

There have been reports and confirmations that thanks to one of my main men- Danny McBride (and no, he doesn't know that he's one of my main men, but the man is busy and don't need to know evvvverythinggg.... just go with it)- and his frequent collaborating partner- David Gordon Green- will be rewriting/revamping one of the most popular and beloved horror classic franchises.... Halloween.

And yes, today is Friday the 13th and that is a direct reference to Jason Voorhees, but we're celebrating with Michael instead today, because it's October, dammit.

The story of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode has been around since long before my birth, which means that as a horror fan, it's always been one of my favorites and I watch it every year.... not just in October.


While I tend to ignore pieces of the franchise such as: Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, there's no denying that I still watch and love them all.

Oh yeah, and I prefer to mostly ignore Halloween II (Rob Zombie's remake), except I like the roles of Annie and Sherriff Brackett and the majority of the regular movie.... but when they started with all that "ghost" blah shit, I checked out.

But no matter where you stand on the sequels, remakes, etc.... there's no denying that Laurie Strode (aka the original- Jamie Lee Curtis.... sorry Scout-Taylor Compton, you rocked, but you're not Jamie Lee Curtis) is ICONIC. There's a reason that her mother (Janet Leigh- the original victim of Norman Bates in the infamous shower scene!) held the title of Scream Queen until she showed up.... Jamie Lee Curtis is just AMAZING.

People have been trying to recapture the spirit of the original Halloween for decades and none of been able to replicate it.

And while many hated the Rob Zombie remake (my mother HATES it with a passion.... too long for her) and others loved it, I stay on the side of the fence that loves it, because it goes back into the origin of Michael doing what he did back when he was a kid (stabbing his own sister to death with a kitchen knife when he was six.... and dressed as a clown) and holds onto the original at the same time.

My favorite Halloween movie aside from the original is probably Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. Why? Because not only does it follow Laurie Strode all of these years later, still trying to cope with the trauma of her unknown boogeyman brother being a psycho and trying to kill her, but it shows the fact that she was willing to try anything (ie: faking your own death and becoming a principal at a private school in the woods) to escape her past.... but she never could. Not to mention, it has Josh Hartnett as her son, John, and I've loved him for years. So, win win.

With all of that being said, McBride and Green are teaming up with John Carpenter himself to take a stab at (*pun intended) trying to bring the franchise back to its beloved roots. Oh, and Jamie Lee Curtis is going to reprise her role of Laurie Strode. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

Fans of the franchise thought we had seen the last of Jamie's Laurie in 2002's Halloween: Resurrection when *spoiler alert* she gets stabbed in the back and falls off a psychiatric building where she had been a patient for three years after the events of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, to her death. Now that we know she's coming back.... we're pretty damn excited! (And yes, I can speak for all of us).

I've been reading everything I can about the upcoming film (scheduled for release in 2018) and it keeps getting better with time. Apparently they're going to ignore the last forty years and treat this movie as a direct sequel of the 1978 original (they've done way stranger things than this in the followups). While I don't know exactly how this is going to work (and even though I know they won't I'm still hoping for Josh Hartnett to return as Laurie's later in life son), I have to say that I'm pretty excited about it.

And yes, I feel the need to embrace EVERYTHING about this time of year.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Stranger Things 2: what the episode titles could mean. REVISED (because people are a pain in the ass).

I originally wrote a post back in August when they released the episode titles of Stranger Things (S2) and did an entire post speculating on what I thought was gonna go down in those episodes along with my theories and questions and such.... but now I have to kind of start over. And only "kind of" because I'm lazy and not starting from scratch.

First off, we're getting one additional episode compared to season one (season one was eight episodes long, season two will be nine). Can we all just agree that the more the better? Load us the f*ck up on these.

Episode One (Chapter Nine) Madmax: There's a few new characters coming into season two and one of them happens to be a girl about the same age as the boys.... and her name is Max. Could this be an introduction into her character specifically? Or, could this episode try to set her up so we have instant love for her like we did with the boys and El back in season one? Also, this character apparently has a brother around the same age as Nancy/Jonathan/Steve.... so hopefully he and Steve can "bro out" and Nancy can get back to what's important.... JONATHAN. So far, the title of this episode hasn't changed.... that we know of.

Episode Two (Chapter Ten) The Boy Who Came Back To Life: Trick or Treat Freak: This has to be a "Will centric" episode.... right?! I mean, he is "the boy who came back to life" in season one and that has to freak some people in that little podunk town out. They all attended his funeral and tried to convince his mother that she was crazy when she was the only one (aside from the boys) that believed that Will was still alive. There has to be some repercussions from that. The entire town already thought Joyce was crazy, Jonathan was creepy, and Will was strange.... have things changed for the Byers?! Who's the "freak" in this scenario? They could very well be referring to any of our favorites, but for some reason.... I'm leaning towards Will. Why I don't know, but I am. Like, maybe he'll freak the hell out and have one of his "spells" (you know, like his last scene in season one) and goes off effectively earning the title of the "crazy Byers boy" (a title previously held by the long running champ- his brother, Jonathan). Then again, they could be referring to El.... or any of the new players in the game. The truth is, unfortunately most of our beloved characters get the short end of the stick more often than not, and people are the exact opposite of kind and understanding, so there are endless possibilities here.


Episode Three (Chapter Eleven) The Pumpkin Patch: The Pollywog: I would like to be all "theory crazy" and come up with something crazy for this episode, but it could be that the kids literally just go to a pumpkin patch (it is set around Halloween almost a year after season one's events) and some shit goes down, because shit always goes down wherever those boys go. From the previews it's clear that our favorite group since the Goonies are going as the Ghostbusters, but what exactly is catching Dustin's eye while they're going into the school? Something that could reappear or come forth in a pumpkin patch perhaps?! When I think of a Pollywog I think of Binyah Binyah the Pollywog from Gullah Gullah Island.... but I doubt that's what this is meaning. Since a Pollywog is technically a tadpole, is it referring to a creature (maybe the slugs Will is puking up?) or could it be referring to our little runt of the group? Is it a rebirthing of sorts or is it a reference to our little ones growing into more serious players? Can they get more serious than they did in season one?! Is there going to be a cute little Pollywog creature that the boys find? OR is there going to be some sort of weird frog/hybrid monster?!

NOTE: I feel like this might be the episode that Eleven makes her re-emergence, because even though it's episode three of the second season, if you put season one and two together, it is technically chapter ELEVEN.

Episode Four (Chapter Twelve) The Palace: Will the Wise: This sounds fairly important. A big theme of season one was Dungeons&Dragons and while I have never played that game, I'm assuming that there's some kind of castle/home base for the characters? It just seems to fit that you would have a castle/palace of some sorts since they have dungeons and dragons, right? If not, where in the hell is the dungeon?! Then again, this could be a location in the UpsideDown. Could the boys travel there to try and help their friends (Will/El) and run to the palace for refuge.... OR could this be a place that the boys run into where the demogorgon/new baddie reside?! Then again, could this be an entirely different/yet to be introduced realm?! This has to be a "Will centric" episode.... right?! Originally I thought the "Will centric" episode was going to be Chapter Two, but since the name change, I'm thinking maybe it's this one? I mean, he is "the boy who came back to life" in season one and that has to freak some people in that little podunk town out. They all attended his funeral and tried to convince his mother that she was crazy when she was the only one (aside from the boys) that believed that Will was still alive. There has to be some repercussions from that. The entire town already thought Joyce was crazy, Jonathan was creepy, and Will was strange.... have things changed for the Byers?! Does the play on "Will the Wise" have something to do with Dungeons&Dragons?!

Episode Five (Chapter Thirteen) The Storm: Dig Dug: I looked into this a little bit to see if 1984 (the year season two is set) was a crazy storm year and apparently, YES IT WAS. Apparently there was a hurricane via the Atlantic and it was said to be pretty rough and beat up the US pretty badly. So.... are we thinking that our boys will be getting out into this storm and getting trapped in the worst of it? Or.... could this have absolutely nothing to do with the 1984 storms and the Duffer Brothers are just trying to throw us off with a play on words? "The Storm" could mean what's happening within one (or more) of our characters. Dig Dug what?! Are we digging something up? Does this refer to "digging up the truth" or some kind of pun like that? Does it involve Eleven? Oh.... could it be the boys "dig up" information about El and they all go to find her and bring her home?! Or do they start "digging" for something and find it hence the past tense of dug? I need answers right f*cking now.

Episode Six (Chapter Fourteen) The Pollywog: The Spy: When I think of a Pollywog I think of Binyah Binyah the Pollywog from Gullah Gullah Island.... but I doubt that's what this is meaning. Since a Pollywog is technically a tadpole, is it referring to a creature (maybe the slugs Will is puking up?) or could it be referring to our little runt of the group? Is it a rebirthing of sorts or is it a reference to our little ones growing into more serious players? Can they get more serious than they did in season one?! Is there going to be a cute little Pollywog creature that the boys find? OR is there going to be some sort of weird frog/hybrid monster?! Who's the spy? Is Hopper the spy? Is someone spying on our people? Are the boys in even more danger with a spy in the mix? Can they even really be in more danger in the first place? Is it that new little girl that's getting thrown into the mix? Her brother? Mikey Sean Astin's new character? WHO CAN WE TRUST AT THIS POINT?!

Episode Seven (Chapter Fifteen) The Secret Cabin: The Lost Sister: Who's it a secret to? That should be the first question. Afterall, finding out that there's a secret place in Hawkins isn't that far of a stretch. Is it where Eleven is hiding? She's had to be somewhere for the past year and what better place to be hiding out then a place that people don't know exists? Then again, chances are if she's not been locked up or in the Upside Down since she destroyed the Demogorgon and just chilling in a cabin, she would've at least come out to find Mike. Unless she was too scared. Or is this where some freaky experiments will go down? Who's lost sister? Is it a long lost sister of one of the kids? The only thing that even makes a little bit of sense would be if it was a "sister" of Eleven's. You know, like numbers One-Ten?! That's the only thing that makes even a little bit of sense right?! Yeah, that's what I'm going with. We're gonna meet one of the One-Ten's.

Episode Eight (Chapter Sixteen) The Brain: The Mind Flayer: This either has to refer to Eleven because of her telepathy skills, or it has to refer to the "brains" of the group, right?! Speaking of which, who is the brains of the group? It can't refer to Nancy, because at the end of season one she very clearly chose Steve over Jonathan and we all know that doesn't constitute being the "brains" of any operation. Could this be a reference to the entire US Department of Energy and all of it's shady dealings? Or, could this be a reference to Hopper since he's most likely going to be looking into things over the last year? Wow.... anything with the word "flayer" in it sounds bad. Are the good guys going to be doing the flaying or are one of them going to get flayed? It's incredible how uncomfortable the word "flayer" is making me right now. Oy, I'm going with somebody is probably gonna get dead in this episode. Like, somebody we love.

Episode Nine (Chapter Seventeen) The Lost Brother: The Gate: Who's brother? Nancy's brother (Mike)? Eleven's brother (there are more kids like her)? Maybe the new girl's brother (who looks shady as hell)? Jonathan's brother (Will) again? Or, *gulp* maybe Will's brother (Jonathan)? They all could be likely or even a completely new character within itself since there are bound to be a whole other world of characters waiting to come out and play. This has to refer to the Upside Down, right?! I'm pretty sure it has to be the "gate" for that alternate dimension, because the only other thing that could make sense would maybe be the gates of hell?! Or.... maybe they have to shut a "gate" down at Hawkins Lab? No.... I'm going with the ULTIMATE gate (to the Upside Down).

See y'all October 27, 2017. Maybe I'll have access to Netflix and the luxury of being locked in our own house without the fear of being judged by others (you know.... other than Momma and Tayder.... they've accepted this about me long ago) for my binge-watching capabilities. (Here's hoping).

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

I've been really into "throwbacks" lately.

Yes, I'm posting about Throwback Thursday on a Tuesday (because I do what I want!).

I'm assuming that at this point, everybody is familiar with the term "Throwback Thursday." And I say that, because even though it's 2017, I am still stuck somewhere between 1997 and 2003.... and even I know what it is.

And if I'm "up" on the term, everybody else should be too, because to say I'm a late bloomer would be the understatement of this century. These damn kids and their slang terms. (Slang? Slang terms?)


Most people participate in this little social media trend, because nothing is more fun than digging up the oldies and the goodies.

That girl on Instagram posting too many workout pics that make you feel like a failure? Find a pic of her when she had bangs and braces. Girl (or guy, I'm not a hater!) on FB posting about how glamourous her life is and how much better than all of you she is?! Find and post a pic of that bitch from sixth grade. BECAUSE NONE OF US LOOKED GOOD IN SIXTH GRADE.

Of course, there are a million reasons to post "throwbacks" that have nothing to do with being a d*ck to someone.

Most of those reasons are the photos are funny and it usually spikes a debate on who had the worst hair (in my group of friends that answer is always me) and gets y'all talking and sharing memories. I'm not of the belief that you should live in the past, but sometimes, it is nice to take a little stroll down memory lane.

And to share embarrassing pictures that are so hilarious that they induce tears.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Ten years of McLovin.... if you don't know who that is, we can't be friends.

Back in August the tenth anniversary of the release of the movie Superbad happened. I meant to mention it back then (I mentioned it on Instagram/FB, so that counts, right?), but I forgot and a bunch of things happened and now here I am almost two month later showing up late to class.

You win some, you lose some.

In 2007 I was seventeen years old (#babyface) and living in Florida. I had a boyfriend (I guess he is counted as my highschool sweetheart?) and a few close friends.... and to say that we watched alot of movies, would be an understatement.

While my friend Noodle and I are extreme movie buffs, our boyfriends only watched, because we wanted to and it was Florida.... it's always f*cking hot as hell down there and you tend to want to stay in alot (if you're us).


I've never been one to go to the theatre a whole lot, but have hit it from time to time when it's something that I really want to see (and a couple of times on dates).

With all of that being said, when something about a movie that I love comes up, I feel the need to celebrate it. And this time around is no different. You see, I went with said boyfriend at the time, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend to the theatre to see Superbad.... and whether or not we were inebriated and snuck cheeseburgers and sweet tea in is besides the point. And I laughed at that movie so hard I nearly pissed my pants.

And if you think about it, Superbad is more important than you think.

Without Superbad, the world might not know the lovable cuteness of Emma Stone. That's right, her "big break" started right here.... in a movie with no less than fifteen d*ck jokes. Do I think Emma Stone would have still broken through to become an actress? Yes. Do I think everyone would know how hilarious she is without it? Who knows.

Without Superbad, we might not have the genius that is Jonah Hill playing Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street. And if you haven't seen that movie, go watch it right f*cking now, because it is hilarious (but totally inappropriate, so don't watch it around people you're not 100% comfortable with).

And if you've seen either of the Jump Street movies (21 & 22), and loved the pain in the ass/completely sarcastic team of Jonah Hill and Dave Franco, you can thank Superbad. Yeah, that's right, Dave Franco played in Superbad (albeit a small role) as a kid named Greg that played soccer and pissed his pants years before.

Without it, where the hell would we have gotten the phrase: "I AM MCLOVIN...."? And if you've never said that, I don't think we can be friends.

Do you like Michael Cera? Well, without Superbad he may never have gotten the opportunity to play literally the exact same character in every single movie for over a decade. So, you're welcome.

This movie is so badass that the cast are besties even a decade later (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, Emma Stone and Martha MacIsaac, Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, etc.). And they all just randomly keep making movies together and IT IS GREAT.

It's been a decade and this movie still cracks me up because I have a filthy mind and find d*ck jokes funny every single time I watch it. Not to mention, I still quote it on a semi-regular basis (stop judging me).

So, on this day almost two months late we celebrate the catastrophe that is Superbad. Blow J's for everybody!! (And you'll only find that funny if you've seen the movie).